Chapter 63. Second date
Lilly Bradley
After Jackson's unexpected visit the night before, I was excited to know that today, after work, would be our second date. I had prepared something he wouldn't expect: a movie and an amusement park.
From the weekend we spent together, I knew he loved old movies with mystery and action. I found out there was a festival at one of the city's theaters showing the best films from the seventies and eighties. But it was on the other side of the city, and a few minutes by car, there was one of the most famous and oldest amusement parks: Luna Park. It was in Coney Island, right by the sea, in the Brooklyn neighborhood. I anxiously looked at the clock, eager to leave work.
"Do you have the file I asked for a few minutes ago?" Máxima's voice pulled me from my thoughts, and I turned to her.
"Yes, I sent it right away." She frowned.
"I haven't received it."
"Let me check," the computer screen lit up, and I reviewed the emails. I had indeed sent it.
"Is everything okay?" she asked suddenly, coming around to my side of the desk. I looked at her and nodded. "You seem anxious." I tried to suppress a smile.
"Oh, it's just that the day feels endless." She frowned.
"Endless? Are you going out?" She quickly shook her head. "Sorry, I didn't mean to sound nosy."
"No, no, it's fine." I smiled. "I have a date." She raised her eyebrows, and a smile spread across her lips, lighting up her face, but instead of making me happy, it felt odd.
"Congratulations. What are you doing? Do you have plans?" I cleared my throat, and she sat in the chair.
"Oh, a movie and dinner." I lied about the dinner part; I didn't want to sound like a kid who goes crazy for amusement park rides.
"Well, that's typical." She smiled, but it made me uncomfortable.
"What do you mean 'typical'?"
"It's what people usually do on dates. I think you should do something new, something the other person has never done." I smiled to myself.
"Oh, thanks for the advice. I'll keep it in mind."
"You're welcome. And the file?"
"I resent it."
"Thanks. See you later. If I don't see you before, have fun on your date." She waved her fingers, winked, and left, leaving me with her words, "something the other person has never done." A smile appeared on my lips. I looked at the clock again, and we were fifteen minutes from leaving.
Everyone had finally left, and the floor was completely empty. I waited in front of the elevator, already wearing my coat and holding my bag. Jackson was coming down to pick me up. The elevator hadn't moved, and my anxiety grew as a couple of minutes passed from the agreed time. Did something come up? I bit my lip, more restless than before, pressed the button, and the elevator doors opened. I stepped in and pressed the top floor. Moments later, the doors opened, and I walked to the slightly open double doors. Then I stopped when I heard a furious Jackson.
"I don't care. Make my decision clear." I tensed; his tone was cold. "After all these years? No. I don't care, and I won't let her get close to me. So make sure she knows I'm not interested in anything to do with her." I raised my eyebrows at the mention of "her." I stepped back to give him privacy, even moving further away without making much noise. I sat in the waiting area near the entrance to the floor. "Damn it, damn it," I heard him say as he left the office, walking quickly to the elevator, not noticing my presence. He anxiously checked his watch and shook his head.
"You're late," I said, making him jump. Our eyes met.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," he apologized, coming closer and sitting next to me, averting his gaze.
"Do you want to cancel the date?" He looked back at me.
"Of course not."
"I heard you were pretty angry when I got here." He tensed.
"I'm sorry, I don't want that issue to ruin our second date. So, shall we go?"
"Are you sure?"
"Absolutely. Come on, I'm dying to know what you have planned for us."
Moments later, we left his office, then the building. When we reached the sidewalk, Richard was waiting beside the armored SUV.
"Do you want to go in the SUV or should I call for the Bentley?" he asked me.
"Whichever you prefer." He pressed his lips, thinking for a moment.
"Honestly, I can't focus on driving right now. Let's take the SUV..." I nodded, seeing that Jackson was clearly elsewhere. We got into the SUV, and I gave Richard the directions without Jackson noticing. I saw a look of surprise on his face, then he nodded with a discreet smile. I thanked him in a whisper and returned to my seat.
"So, where are we going?" Jackson asked. I quickly shook my head.
"I can't tell you, it's a surprise. Remember?"
"Oh, right, right," he smiled halfway and turned to the window. I knew something was up.
"Is everything okay? You seem off..." Jackson looked back at me. I felt like he wanted to talk, but something was holding him back.
"It's all good," he smiled and stroked my cheek with his fingers, a gesture I was starting to like too much.
"Are you sure?" he affirmed slowly, motioning for me to come closer. He pulled me to his side and rested his arm over my shoulders to bring me closer. I breathed in his scent as I wrapped my hand around his stomach. "Okay, but if you're not okay..." he kissed the top of my head. "I'm a good listener..."
"Thank you..." he whispered close to me.
After crossing to the other side of the city with instrumental music in the background, the car parked in front of the theater. Jackson tried to figure out where we were, looked at me, and showed a confused expression.
"Surprise." He leaned towards me to see the other side, then I saw his big smile. He returned to his seat and looked at me.
"Film festival?" I nodded, excited to have surprised him.
"They're showing the best movies from the sixties and seventies, the ones you like to watch."
"That really surprised me." One of his men opened my door. I extended my hand to Jackson to follow me. He got out behind me and looked at the place with surprise, as if he had never been to a theater. "Mystery and action?" he asked, intrigued.
"That's right." I showed him the list of movies on my phone, still seeing surprise in his eyes. Richard approached us.
"Here’s your coat, Mr. Jackson." Richard had a discreet smile on his lips, which Jackson didn't notice.
"Thank you," he said, taking off his blazer, leaving only his long-sleeved dress shirt, and then putting on the coat. "Shall we go in?" I nodded, excited.
"At nine?" I asked Richard, and he nodded before stepping away.
"I thought I was the one giving orders to my head of security." I linked my arm with his to guide him.
"I'm in charge of making this second date... unforgettable." He looked at me, narrowing his eyes.
"The first date still holds the top spot." I couldn't help but blush at what he meant.
"That's right." We approached the ticket booth, and I bought two tickets for one of the movies he chose from the list I showed him. Once inside, we bought popcorn and drinks. From his expression, I swore it was his first time in a theater. And with someone.
We found our seats carefully, avoiding tripping over the steps.
"It's amazing," he murmured beside me, and I smiled like a fool. During the movie, we finished the popcorn and our drinks. He was truly enchanted by the film. I checked the time and realized we had enough time to watch a second movie before Richard picked us up. He chose another one, still in disbelief.
We watched another movie, this one in black and white, called Casablanca. We got immersed in the story, set in French colonies during World War II. After the movie ended, we walked to the exit and saw the car parked across the street. Richard was waiting for us. As we stepped into the night breeze, he sighed, took my hand, and intertwined our fingers. I was surprised he did that.
"Surprised?" he asked with a smile.
"A little, I didn't think you'd like it." He usually took my elbow to guide me, but now it was his hand, as if we were a couple. My heart raced with excitement. We were about to cross when we heard someone call his name.
"Jackson."
He stopped his intention to cross the street, turned his head to see who had called him. When I looked at him, I noticed the paleness on his face. He pressed his lips tightly and his jaw tensed; I could even see the vein on the side of his forehead starting to stand out.
"What are you doing here?" he asked the woman standing a few feet away from me. She was beautiful, with dark skin, big eyes, and perfectly straightened brown hair. I would swear she was foreign.
"You know why I'm here," she replied, then looked at me intently. "I am..." she extended her hand to introduce herself, but Jackson quickly moved me to avoid us meeting. I saw his back acting as a shield against her.
"You're nobody. Stop doing this or I'll get a restraining order to keep you away from me for good." I could see Richard's reaction from across the street.
"Jackson," she pleaded. "I won't be in town for long."
"Did you hear what I said?" Jackson's tone was restrained. I tried to pull my hand away, but he held on tighter to prevent it. "Don't look for me, Arya. Don't do it or there will be consequences." He gently pulled us away. I heard her insistence on talking to him. We crossed the street and reached the car. Richard opened the door immediately and helped me in. When I sat down, I realized Jackson had closed the door. He hadn't gotten in. The woman had crossed to try to talk to him. I didn't understand what was happening. So I got out on the other side and stood on the sidewalk, watching the scene from the other side of the car.
"You can't just ignore me! Threaten me! You know this isn't new! I've been trying to talk to you for years and you've managed to block me, but enough is enough."
"What do you want, Arya?"
"You want to know what I want?" She paused. "I want you."